Knowing the best-selling products is essential for any entrepreneur looking to profit from e-commerce. Whether you're selling through bol.com, have your own webshop, or are considering starting to sell online - having insight into which product categories are growing the fastest gives you a huge competitive advantage. In this in-depth article, we analyze the best-selling products of 2026, discuss concrete niches, and provide you with the tools and strategies to discover profitable products yourself.
Why is it important to know the best-selling products?
Simply choosing a popular product isn't enough. You need to understand why certain products sell well and whether there's still room in the market. The best-selling products often share a number of characteristics:
- High repeat purchases - consumers regularly buy the product again (think of care products or pet supplies)
- Low return rates - products that are rarely returned provide a better margin
- Seasonal stability - products that sell all year round are more stable than seasonal items
- Limited competition - niche markets often offer higher margins than overcrowded categories
- Good search volumes - there must be sufficient online demand to achieve a profitable sales volume
With tools like the Product Tracker and Product Database, you can systematically analyze these factors instead of relying on your gut feeling.
Top 10 best-selling product categories in 2026
Based on market data, consumer research, and platform statistics, we've compiled the top 10 performing product categories. This list is based not only on sales volume but also on profitability and growth potential.
| Rank | Category | Estimated growth (YoY) | Avg. margin | Competition level | Return ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Skincare & beauty products | +18% | 35-55% | Average | 3-5% |
| 2 | Pet supplies | +15% | 30-45% | Low-average | 2-4% |
| 3 | Kitchen & cooking utensils | +12% | 25-40% | Average | 5-8% |
| 4 | Baby & care products | +14% | 30-50% | Average | 3-6% |
| 5 | Sports & fitness products | +11% | 25-40% | High | 6-10% |
| 6 | Home & interior products | +10% | 30-50% | Average | 5-8% |
| 7 | Hobby & craft products | +13% | 35-55% | Low | 2-3% |
| 8 | Garden articles & outdoor living | +9% | 25-45% | Seasonal | 4-7% |
| 9 | Personal care & wellness | +16% | 35-60% | Average | 2-4% |
| 10 | Sustainable & eco-products | +22% | 30-50% | Low-average | 3-5% |
1. Skincare & beauty products
The beauty sector continues to grow explosively. Products like acne patches, moisturizers, serums, and lip balms consistently sell well due to their daily usage frequency. The average consumer spends over €200 annually on personal care products, and that trend is rising. Important: focus on products with high repeat purchases and good reviews, as customer loyalty is crucial in this category. Use the Keyword Verkenner to discover which specific beauty products are most searched for.
2. Pet supplies
The premiumization of pet products is one of the strongest trends in e-commerce. Owners are spending more on high-quality food, health products, and toys for their pets. Cat litter, health supplements for dogs, and automatic feeders are concrete examples of best-selling products. The return rate in this category is extremely low, which protects margins.
3. Kitchen & cooking utensils
Air fryers, storage systems, kitchen scales, and smart kitchen appliances are doing extremely well. The growth of working from home has led to more interest in cooking and kitchen design. However, keep an eye on the return rate for electronics: larger appliances are returned more often. Focus on smaller kitchen tools and accessories with margins above 30% instead.
4. Baby & care products
Baby wipes, diapers, care creams, and toys are typical repeat-purchase products. Parents are willing to pay more for products they trust, which makes higher margins possible. The stable demand makes this category particularly attractive to sellers looking for predictable income.
5. Sports & fitness items
Resistance bands, yoga mats, dumbbells, and sportswear sell well throughout the year, with peaks in January (New Year's resolutions) and September (back-to-school). Although competition is higher, niche markets like specific sports (padel, bouldering) still offer plenty of opportunities for new sellers.
Concrete products that are currently trending
Besides the broad categories, there are specific products that stand out as best-selling products in 2026. Here are some examples you can investigate directly:
| Product | Category | Why trending | Estimated search volume/month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acne patches (hydrocolloid) | Beauty | TikTok virality, high repeat purchase | 12,000+ |
| Automatic cat litter box | Pets | Premiumization, labor savings | 8,500+ |
| Air fryer accessories | Kitchen | Complementary to #1 kitchen appliance | 15,000+ |
| Bamboo toothbrushes (set) | Sustainability | Eco-awareness, repeat purchase | 6,000+ |
| Resistance band set | Fitness | Home workouts, low returns | 9,000+ |
| Magnetic phone holder car | Accessories | New car systems, MagSafe | 11,000+ |
| LED strip lighting | Home | Mood lighting, gaming setups | 14,000+ |
| Reusable snack bags | Sustainability | Lunchbox trend, eco-awareness | 4,500+ |
Use the Product Database to view the exact sales data and competition for each of these products. This way, you'll know exactly if a product is profitable before investing in stock.
How to find the best-selling products yourself
A list of best-selling products is a good starting point, but the real difference is made by doing systematic product research yourself. Here are five proven methods:
1. Analyzing platform data
Bol.com shows popular products and bestsellers per category. Combine this with the Product Tracker to view historical sales data and discover seasonal patterns. Note: bestseller lists show volumes, but not margins - a product that sells a lot can still be unprofitable due to high commissions or return costs.
2. Conducting keyword research
With the Keyword Verkenner, you can see exactly how often consumers search for specific products. High search volumes with low competition are the sweet spot. Combine this with Google Trends to verify if interest is growing or declining.
3. Conduct competitor analysis
Check how many sellers already offer a product and what their pricing strategy is. The Ranking Checker helps you see how your competitors score in search results and where there's room to rank higher. A product with only three to five sellers often offers more opportunities than one with a hundred competitors.
4. Calculate margins
Before investing in a product, calculate the total costs: purchase price, shipping costs, platform commission, return costs, and VAT. The Winstcalculator makes this easy by bringing all variables together in one overview. A rule of thumb: aim for a net margin of at least 20% after all costs.
5. Start test sales
Start small with a test order of 50-100 units. After four weeks, analyze your sales speed, return percentage, and customer feedback. Use the Sales Dashboard to monitor your performance and make data-driven decisions about scaling up.
Seasonal trends and timing
Timing is crucial when choosing products. Many best-selling products have clear seasonal patterns that you can take advantage of:
- January-February: Fitness products, health items, planners, and organization tools (New Year's resolutions)
- March-April: Gardening items, outdoor toys, allergy products, spring cleaning items
- May-June: Sunscreen, water bottles, outdoor items, BBQ accessories
- July-August: Travel accessories, camping gear, pool items
- September-October: School supplies, office items, fall decorations, Halloween items
- November-December: Gift items, electronics, Christmas and Sinterklaas products, winter clothing
The key is to stock up two to three months before the season. This way, you'll have everything in stock on time and maximize your profits during the peak period. Don't forget that many best-selling products on bol.com reach their peak volume in the weeks leading up to Black Friday and Sinterklaas.
Common mistakes in product selection
Many beginning sellers make the same mistakes when choosing products. Avoid these pitfalls:
- Focusing only on popularity - a product that sells 10,000 times a month but has 200 competitors is often less profitable than a niche product with 500 sales and three competitors
- Underestimating return costs - clothing and electronics have return rates of up to 30%, which can eat into your margin
- Seasonal products as main category - an assortment that only sells in December will leave you with eleven months of downtime
- Too broad product focus - start in one niche and build expertise before diversifying
- No data analysis - making decisions based on feelings instead of real market data
The role of reviews and customer satisfaction
Among the best-selling products, there's a strong correlation between review scores and sales performance. Products with more than 4.5 stars sell up to 3x better than products with 3.5 stars. To actively improve your reviews:
- Always deliver faster than the promised delivery time
- Add a personal touch to your packaging
- Respond quickly to customer questions via the sales platform
- Use the E-mail Campagnes tool to automatically ask buyers for feedback
How many products are actually on bol.com?
Bol.com has more than 53 million items in its catalog, offered by more than 52,000 sellers. This may sound overwhelming, but it also means that there's an audience for almost every niche product. The key is to find the right niche with enough demand and limited competition. Not every product out of those 53 million sells well - in fact, a large part sells hardly at all. The best-selling products form a relatively small percentage of the total range.
Sustainable and eco-products: the fastest-growing category
With an estimated growth of 22% year-over-year, sustainable products are the fastest-growing category on Dutch e-commerce platforms. Consumers are willing to pay more for eco-friendly alternatives, making higher margins possible. Think of reusable products (water bottles, shopping bags, lunch boxes), bamboo alternatives to plastic products, and organic care products. This category combines growth with relatively low competition - an ideal combination for new sellers.
Tools to analyze best-selling products
Selecting successful products requires the right tools. Here's an overview of the most important tools used by professional sellers:
- Product Tracker - track sales volumes, price changes, and reviews of each product over time
- Product Database - search through millions of products by category, price, sales volume, and competition
- Keyword Verkenner - discover the keywords consumers use to find products
- Ranking Checker - monitor your position in search results compared to competitors
- Winstcalculator - calculate your net margin including all costs and commissions
- Sales Dashboard - track your sales performance in real-time dashboards
How do you determine if a product is really profitable?
A product that sells a lot is not automatically profitable. To calculate the real profitability of best-selling products, you need to consider all cost factors. Here's a practical example for an average product on bol.com:
| Cost item | Percentage/amount | Example (product €29.95) |
|---|---|---|
| Purchase price | 30-40% of sales price | €10.00 |
| Bol.com commission | 8-17% (category-dependent) | €3.60 (12%) |
| Shipping costs | €2.50-€5.50 per shipment | €3.50 |
| Packaging material | €0.50-€2.00 per product | €1.00 |
| Return costs (average 5%) | €0.50-€1.50 per product | €0.75 |
| BTW payment (21%) | Included in sales price | €5.20 |
| Net profit | €5.90 (19.7%) |
With the Winstcalculator, you can make this calculation in seconds for any product. Enter your purchase price, sales price, and category, and you'll immediately see your expected net margin. This prevents you from investing in products that look attractive on paper but barely generate any profit in practice.
Private label vs trading: which strategy suits you?
When choosing the best-selling products, you have two main strategies. With private label, you develop your own brand and have products custom-made by a manufacturer. This requires a higher initial investment (€2.000-€10.000), but offers higher margins (40-60%) and less direct competition. With trading, you buy existing brand products from wholesalers and resell them. The investment is lower, but you compete directly with other sellers on price.
For beginners, we recommend starting with trading to get familiar with the platform, and then switching to private label once you've found a profitable niche. Use the Product Database to analyze both branded and generic products and determine the optimal strategy for your situation.
Frequently asked questions about best-selling products
What's the best-selling product in 2026?
There's no single product that universally sells the best, but skincare products, pet supplies, and kitchen items consistently rank among the top sellers. The ideal choice depends on your niche, budget, and experience as a seller.
How do I know if a product sells enough?
Use the Product Tracker to view a product's estimated monthly sales volume. As a rule of thumb: a product with at least 200 sales per month and fewer than 10 direct competitors offers enough potential to start profitably.
Can I be successful in a crowded category?
Yes, but you need to differentiate yourself on a specific point: better product photography, a unique bundle, faster shipping, or a lower return rate. Analyze your competitors' weaknesses with the Ranking Checker and the Listing Generator AI to optimize your product page.
How often should I update my product assortment?
Evaluate your assortment at least every quarter. Remove products that consistently lose money and add new products based on trends and seasonal data. The Sales Dashboard gives you direct insight into which products are performing and which aren't.
Is it better to sell cheap or expensive products?
Products in the €15-€50 price range often form the sweet spot: they're cheap enough for impulse buys but expensive enough for a healthy margin. Products under €10 often have margins that are too narrow after commission and shipping costs, while products over €100 have a higher return risk.
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